As I was cleaning up the remainder of my flamenco and classical guitar archives, I found both programs for my only two staged solo guitar performances ever. Strange I have memories of the performances, but the pieces I played had eluded my memory. The first one was performed on stage at a small fine arts center and was a free concert to introduce myself and classical and flamenco solo guitar to a town that had never had any such concert. The place was packed, about 150 people and the response was overwhelming. Strange I do not remember any of my own compositions, not even a note. I never wrote them down so they are lost forever.

Part One Classical Guitar

1. Aisle Song (all tremolo)- my own
2. Romantic study - my own
3. Friday 13 - my own
4. Lagrima - (prelude) -Tarrega
5. Adelita - Tarrega
6. Reflections on a Hot Summer Day - my own
7. Gypsy Lute in D - my own

Part Two Flamenco Guitar

8. Guajiras
9. Bulerias in Am
10. Farruca
11. Sevillanas
12. Solea
13. Bulerias in Amaj
14. Malaguena

I do remember the Aisle Song was composed especially for a wedding by request of the bride and she wanted all tremolo while she walked down the aisle. I have no recollection of playing the Bulerias in Am and don't even remember practicing one. I was surprized when I saw this on the program. I sold off all my old flamenco books and sheet music about 5 years ago, so no clues where I learned it. I still have 2 notebooks of hand written tab I copied off one of my students whose father was a friend of Luis Maravilla and Luis had given this girl's father his methods books for his daughter. The father had bought his daughter a factory made Barcelona flamenco guitar and when returning home tried to find someone that taught flamenco. I was the only one that knew anything about it and my skills and knowledge was low intermediate at best. Anyway returning to my point, I searched this old handwritten Maravilla tab for the Am Bulerias and no clues.

Second and final concert was a failure. About 25 people there in an auditorium that held 500. It was an all classical concert. I can't remember anything about Sounds of the Wind, but I do remember A Smile... was composed in memory of an older friend that had one tragedy after another in their life, but always managed an infectious smile. She finally died of cancer.

1. Lagrima (prelude) - F. Tarrega
2. Adelita (Mazurka) - F. Tarrega
3. Bouree - J.S. Bach
4. Reflections on a Hot summer Day - mine
5. Aisle Song (tremolo wedding song 1973) - mine
6. Villanella - F. Caraso 16th century
7. Mazurka Choro - Heitor Villa Lobos 1887-1959
8. Prelude in E Minor - Heitor Villa Lobos 1887-1959
9. Sounds of the Wind - mine 1979
10. A Smile can be Victorious (prelude and theme) - mine 1978

I thought I had quit playing earlier, but this confirms it must have been around 1979.
I always had other jobs for income such as my stringed instrument shop, tuning pianos, broadcast radio and TV engineering, one year as a State Social worker, one year in forestry, and non income jobs like building my own home.

Interesting reminiscences here. I've occasionally looked back on my own printed recital programs are well, with some mixed elements of nostalgia and elements of "Dang! I could play THAT??" Those were the days, right?

DN

davinort wrote:Interesting reminiscences here. I've occasionally looked back on my own printed recital programs are well, with some mixed elements of nostalgia and elements of "Dang! I could play THAT??" Those were the days, right?

DN

I went to utube this morning and listened to several play the Villa Lobos pieces and that was my question to myself. "Did I really play those or am I just dreaming?" My only recording were on reel to reel tapes that were destroyed years ago. I still have the tab to the Diego del Gastor Solea I played and can ever so often actually play it right. Amazing how one can deteriorate by not playing for 24 years. I now practice only old school flamenco and find that difficult enough.

Shame you never wrote down any of your pieces. Maybe you'll a creative bend and start writing again.

So, how hard is it to get back into playing? I would think you'd be a little frustrated expecting your fingers to react like they did years ago... How is that saying? fail to practice one day and I notice it, fail to practice two days and the audience notices.

I will be thrilled when I can just be in compas and carry the rythm. No need to be fancy for me, just want to be able to keep a little juerga going.

kpasa, if you don't mind me asking, why did you stop playing shows? and were you nervous in front of that crowd of 150 people?

at_leo_87 wrote:kpasa, if you don't mind me asking, why did you stop playing shows? and were you nervous in front of that crowd of 150 people?

I think you meant me not kpasa. I quit playing because I couldn't make a decent living at it and I couldn't dedicate enough time to study and practice. I went to work doing hard labor jobs and this kept my hands rough and messed up as well as no usable fingernails. I also needed to study with a good teacher and neither time or finances allowed. I was a little nervous in front of the crowd, but not bad back then. Now I couldn't play a note in front of a crowd as my nerves are bad trying to play for the grandkids. I rarely play for anyone else, as no one around here wants to hear flamenco let alone old school stuff and I don't remember any classical and have no interest in playing it anymore.

Manos Lentas wrote:I think you meant me not kpasa.

oh sorry, my eyes must have caught his name right before i posted and i got confused.
i don't know how young your grand kids are but maybe they would like to dance to your guitar playing. i have a 2 year old nephew who, when he heard me play a rumba, started dancing (or rather, wobbling around) right away. when i played a classical piece, he got bored and walked away.

An interesting thread! I did take almost a 20-year hiatus from the guitar. However, I never really gave up music except for a 5-year stint during my high-pressure career on Wall St. when I did not do anything other than work. During those years away from the guitar I became fluent in playing classical organ and played for several large Churches in the NYC area. I did return to the guitar and found to be a walk in the park compared to reading 3 staves of organ music simultaneously. Also, to make guitar playing even more ridiculously easy the availability of Tabs and related Software ~Like loading a player piano. Anyway, I did have great Music and guitar teachers and attended a great music school. With that, I returned to the guitar a bit more mature and disciplined and now play compositions on the guitar that back in the day, I could only play on an LP or cassette of someone else.